Monday, July 6, 2009

Still busy

Last Friday, I finished installing the new flooring in our bedroom. The room is about 250 sq feet, so it was a lot of work. The baseboards were not fun at all, but it's done and looks great. Saturday afternoon I hung curtains and rearranged all the closets, since we are switching up who sleeps in which room. I'll put up before and after pictures here soon (hopefully).

Yesterday, I took a break from the backbreaking work of fixing up the house. Today, I completely emptied one of the boys' bedrooms, tore up the carpet and nail boards, put down padding, and got about half-way done installing the new hard floors. This room is about 150 sq feet. I am getting a lot faster. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to finish installing the flooring (dreading doing the closet floor) and the baseboards. Then Isaac and John will move back in, and I will move on to Solomon's bedroom at last. That one is only about 100 sq feet, but also has a closet. It's really tricky and time-consuming to work around the doors.

Solomon has been a huge help with these projects, as he takes care of Becky and plays with her. Isaac is great at bringing me tools, water, and the flooring planks. They are all excited about their "new" bedrooms and happy to help.

I am very tired and sore, but really loving the new look of the floors and the sense of accomplishment. It's like having a baby - a lot of work, sometimes overwhelming, but worth it. Seeing the piles of dust under the carpets was proof enough that replacing carpets with hard floors was the right choice. Wall-to-wall carpeting has never seemed as unappealing to me as it did today.

Tonight, I am taking a break from working on the room more because there is laundry to be put away, the school/dining room needs cleaning, and there is some produce I need to wash, chop, and freeze. I wish I could go to bed but I don't sleep well unless I straighten the house up first. I really want to finish doing the rooms as quickly as possible because we will soon have to focus more on school work again, and then eventually I will probably get pregnant again in the not too distant future, Lord willing. Right now, I can't even get pregnant yet, so don't start hyperventilating. Just trying to plan ahead.

And so ends this incoherent and meaningless post. Just wanted to say I'm still around, just busy and very tired.

If any of your children have allergies they will really appreciate your hard work. The hubby and I replaced the carpets in his studio with laminate, and his allergies are so much better than they were.

It is very hard work, though. And the closet and the doorways (4 because it's the basement) were the worst! Best of luck.

Good luck on that! I also hate wall-to-wall carpeting. (I also have pets, and it is a pain to constantly vacuum up pet hair, shampoo out muddy paw prints, etc etc)

I just never feel that carpet is clean enough, you know? I want to replace all my carpet with laminate flooring; however both the husband and I are sort of under skilled at the kind of thing - and I'm certainly not going to pay someone else to do it!

Wow lady!! :) I bet you are beat!!! That is something. I would never be able to do that. We listened to a sermon yesterday and we heard your husband say your name and we were like oh no we have been calling you "susanna" I guess we thought that was your name and we ignored the Z. Kinda funny cause we have been calling you the wrong name forever!!!Jessica

Thank you all for the positive feedback. It gave me the motivation I needed today to do the closet and the two doorways in the room I'm working on.

Mrs W,

I certainly would not be doing this kind of work if I were pregnant!!! We had vinyl in one house for years, and there definitely are positives to it as opposed to tile. Tile is really cold, especially in the winter (bad with babies). Tile is also very hard, which means that any dropped dish explodes into a million pieces whereas on the vinyl it would not always break. It's also softer for those crawling babies. Plus, grout is a real pain to keep clean.

Personal failure,

Yes, one of the boys has allergies, and so do I. I think this will be great. Ever since we moved into our new bedroom, I don't have to go to bed with a full box of tissues next to me any more. Before, I would wake up all night long needing to blow my nose. Never had allergies before we moved here.

Victoria,

installing vinyl is not that hard. Stores like home depot and Lowe's have free workshops on Saturdays where they teach how to do all kinds of stuff. I didn't go to the one they had on installing laminate because I would have had to bring all the kids, but I did read about how to do it on the websites, where they also put video clips showing how to do it. Just thought I'd mention that in case you want to look into it. I am going to post pictures of what the floor looked like under the carpets.

Jessica,

it really isn't that hard, I'm sure you would get the hang of it if you tried. As for my name, I often introduce myself by the American equivalent, which is Suzanna, so you haven't been saying it wrong. I'll do a post on my name another day, thanks for the idea.

I managed to get pregnant when my son was 4 weeks old. I checked your article and I had followed all the rules, it seems most natural to me. My aunt, who had 10 children in 11 years, also got pregnant while breastfeeding.

I loved it, because I always miss being pregnant for the first 2 or 3 months after giving birth. I can see how it would not be the best thing for some moms, but I am sure God knows that and just gives us what we can handle.

That is awesome! I have to say we tore out most of the carpet and installed laminate as well, and my dh did the work. He had to make some fancy cuts using a skil saw (I think that's what he used) and I am not good with powerful powertools like saws. I've been super busy and with 5 children and one on the way (shhh I haven't announced on my blog yet, waiting for a couple more weeks) I am just so tired!

I think I have read that you use homeopathic remedies, and if you do I would be interested to hear about them. I have heard from a Christian friend that the medicine has something to do with 'energy' and she is not convinced that Christians should use homeopathic rememdies. I'm wondering how much research you have done on it and if you have anything to add.

Thanks so much for the update! I love reading about your family, and you have motivated me more then once to get some things accomplished.

I just wanted you to know that your family is an inspiration to me. I find myself at a point in my life where the things i most value are my faith, my family, and my freedom. Your family is an icon for our country. God Bless You.

About Me

I am the wife of a hard-working pastor and a stay-at-home Mom to our nine wonderful kids - Solomon (16), Isaac (15), John (13), Miriam (10), Rebecca (9), Anna (7), Stephen (5), Boaz (3), and Chloe (1).
We spend our days learning, working, playing, and putting out all kinds of fires as we serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Read all about the good, the bad, and the ugly days right here on my blog.

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Solomon (16)

Typical firstborn. Very intelligent and logical. Loves to talk. Likes for things to be "right" and organized. Very honest and fair. Exceptional musical talent. Great helper with younger siblings. Very kind and loving.

Isaac (14)

Loves anything to do with being outdoors: riding bikes, hiking, camping, caring for animals, exploring, horseback riding, etc. Very reliable and polite. My "Mr. Fix-It" man. Never ever complains. Tough, but has a very tender heart. Devours books at incredible speed.

John (13)

Our quirky child. Funny and artistic. Precocious and empathetic. Loving older brother to his younger siblings. A bit of daredevil.

Miriam (10)

Beautiful and sweet. Kind and mothering with her younger siblings. Loves being by my side 24/7. My big helper. Has a great sense of style.

Rebecca (9)

Full of energy. Smart and mischievous in a very loveable way. Very tidy. Loves to help with anything she can. Dotes on her younger siblings. Daddy's girl, bookworm.

Anna (7)

Sweet girly girl. Loves pretend playing with her siblings and her dollies. Wants to be a big girl like her sisters. Tenderhearted.

Stephen (5)

Full of energy. Loves to climb onto anything. Wild and rambunctious. All boy, and always happy. A smaller version of his dad, with whom he shares his name and birthday.

Boaz (3)

This little guy is an extra special blessing after a complicated twin pregnancy. Mellow and easy-going. Chatterbox. Smart cookie with a heart of gold.

Chloe (1)

Currently the youngest member of our family. A precious little doll that brightens all of our lives. Smiles, coos, gives kisses, and brings joy every day.